Trist;133781
You guys really should be posting these comments over at the IDW forums too. The editorial teams are over there a lot answering questions and the like. I spoke Chris Ryall (EIC at IDW) about pitching a story with an artist I work with on Tales of the TMNT, and he told that there is at least one other GB story in the pipeline, and that they're going to be reassessing things when June comes around as to whether or not it's worth holding on to the license. The good thing about the dudes over there is that they really do take notice of what the fans want. They just need to let people know (Transformers and GI Joe are both prime examples).

what's the link we'd need to be most effective, chap?

http://forum.idwpublishing.com/

I'm joining as well… want to post my thoughts so that they hopefully let someone with a better idea for this franchise take a crack at it.

Just picked up issue #4 and read it today. I got to say that it was somewhat of a let down. I don't want to come off as I hate this series cause I would honestly love to see a ongoing series. But what can we really enjoy of it? And now that the series is over, I feel a huge void within myself, not cause the comic failed as something entertaining for us fans to read, mostly cause the story itself was not fully thought out, the boys in grey themselfs seemed out of place and out of charactor as many here have stated and the art, even though I eventually got use to it I just felt the artist could have put alittle more effort into his work is all. I've seen some of his previous work and I must say I see a certain amount of strain in this series. The part with god was something I had expected but didn't think they would actually take it that far or use that for a “reason” for them to make a come back in life. I really hope they decide to do a follow up on an going series, But i'd consider getting someone who knows the entire franchise straight out before hand

In a way, it makes sense for the Ghostbusters to have a run in with a major deity - be it God, Allah, Vishnu, whatever you want to call it. After all, they deal with the afterlife. It fits.

Then again, look at a series like Hellboy. The very conflict of the battle between the heavens and hell is present in the title alone. Yet you never see Mignola become so ham-fisted as the drop in the angels and a very Christian looking version of heaven. And if he does represent figures like that in a story, he does so in a very organic manner. This seem forced.

If there is a need to infer religion, I'd recommend taking the Hellboy route - not connotate one particular view, but rather, weave them all into a rich tapestry for the characters to bounce off of and foes to emerge from. Take elements from the major religions, the minor religions, folktales and traditions spanning the globe.

Ultimately though, it just seemed corny to say “we're in good with the man upstairs”.

But that's a really a minor point, and one fixated on Issue 4. The larger problem with this latest run is what was mentioned previously: the guys just don't seem like the guys. Venkman wasn't particularly funny, Zeddemore didn't balance the team out, Spengler was far too verbose and Stantz… just seemed irritating.

It may also be that the setting had an effect on the story. Limbo as a background looked incredibly sparse and lifeless–yet that's exactly as it should be rendered. I suspect the environment the characters inhabited may have had a larger impact on the overall feel of the series than would otherwise have been intended. Time drags on and there isn't much happening.

To paraphrase Bill Watterson, sometimes good art can save bad writing and vice versa. In this case, the art needed a minor step up (it looks great in b/w… maybe it just needed more detailing by whomever colored it?)… but the writing needed a whole lot of work.

And now I've talked to death the book that talked the characters to death. How fitting.

Ghostbusters: The Other Side #4

Yeah, I finally sat down and read the thing.

I guess the best I can say is, I wasn't quite as disappointed with it as I was expecting to be. The main plot ended pretty much as one would have expected, with the literal Deus Ex Machina bringing Ray, Egon, and Winston back to life, but having Venkman basically make fun of the idea earlier in the story helped just a tad; as did having the Deus happen after the main story had been resolved; more of a “Well done, now We'd better get you back to life” instead of “I'm going to come in and solve every problem for you.”

Some of the Judeo-Christian symbolism was probably a little more overt than I would have liked, but I also remember that we see the angels through Venkman's eyes–it's been suggested he was raised nominally Catholic on his mother's side, so there's the old dodge of “We saw what he expected to see. If it was Egon he might have seen Socrates, Einstein, and a bunch of abstract equations or Ray would have seen the Easter Bunny”

The cover was nice, though like some others I could swear it looked more like David Tennant than Bill Murray. I also think they should have used Egon instead, to make it more of a “Flip Side” in-joke.

No sign of Janine this issue, which was disappointing, but I found the scenes with Winston and his dead girlfriend more touching than I was expecting to. If there's any part of this miniseries I might consider adding to GBOT canon, it's this. And I did get a laugh at Ray calling her the “Coolest girl ever!” Well, of course Ray would think so. I'm going to give Kieth Champagne the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up as just the sort of little referential joke that this series needed more of.

Final assessment:

I just didn't enjoy this series as much as I did Ghostbusters Legion or even James Van Hise's work back in the Now Comics days. The production quality was top notch, the art was good (and got better as the story progressed), and I do give them credit for trying something a little different. But it just didn't hit all the right notes with me, and while it ended up not being as big a failure as I was fearing at one point, I wouldn't call it a huge, raging success either.

For future miniseries, hire a writer that knows the characters better. Ask what Andrew Dabb is up to, for example. Or Tristan Jones, who has posted on GBFans and is practically chomping at the bit for a shot at this property.

Or call me.

Credit where it's due, though, for getting four issues out in four consecutive months, the only area that Legion stumbled very very VERY badly in. It does help a lot.

Yeah I was a little miffed about this GB comic series too overall. I don't like how the guys came back to life. Their bodies had holes in them and they were underwater, the guys come back to life just like that after their souls go back to the real world? I don't know but if Trist is right and IDW may only do one more run than will that truly be it for GB comics again? I wished the art was better. I don't know whats with IDW's books that I buy but the artists style changes throughtout a books run or its a completely different artist. I've seen this in Dr Who from them and now the GB comic the art just loses its quailty. The art to me needed more detail and it was almost like stick figures or cartoon charactures. I like comic art to have detail not be so simple looking which GB was. Why does Winston have his moustache? He didn't have it in the 2nd film so it should'nt have been there if were to follow after the 2nd movie. This is a minor thing but it just made it look like this was ignoring the 2nd movie. The guys' personas weren't right on. Hopefully the creative team isn't the same for this next run from IDW.

As established with the second issue, this was was once again only marginally better then the last, but only in a few ways.

This whole miniseries is proof that Keith Champagne should not be allowed back as a writer, he has no grasp of the characters or dialogue, he seems in fact to be overall a pretty poor writer and elements of the story just dragged on too long.

It, frankly, read like bad fanfiction. A charge some fans accused Legion of, and was a charge I always felt was completely unfairly given to it.

The only good bit about it, as Fritz noted, was the rather touching subject of Winston's deceased girlfriend, and the only thing from this story that is worth including in the Omnibus Timeline.

Also, major disappointment that we never saw Janine again. That just smacks of how poorly this story was written that one of the franchise's most strong characters is reduced to a two/three page side cameo.

And the Ghostbusters being brought back to life was about as predictable as we expected it to be, uninspired and as telling as any element of the story as to how appropriate Champagne was a choice for it.

Once again, alright art. And once again the proton streams were bland in colour and in movement.


With Legion, you got value for money. Every issue you got a greater bang for your buck then The Other Side, as well as better characterisation, superior art and colours and a excellent story. It progressed at a great pace and was incredibly memorable.

This story wasn't worth the cover price and had poor characterisation, the art was alright but was hugely misrepresented by IDW in the early promotion and has a instantly forgettable story. Equally, some people felt Legion ended a little too quickly, this took too long to resolve in some areas.


If IDW hopes to progress with another miniseries, I have major suggestions, they should at least hire a different colourist and more importantly, do not rehire Keith Champagne. If you want the series to tank, then by all means keep him on, but if you want it to sell out, find someone else. I'm sure there's plenty of writers who'd jump at the chance… many post on this forum!

I re-read this damn thing from start to finish! Thinking maybe if I read one issue right after the other something new might click for me and i'd like it just that little bit more…saddly it did not! Infact as I read all four comics back to back I found the story to drag on even worse! Im not meaning to come off as I hate this comic series but dammit man, come on! They could have done alittle more with it and personally I felt could have taken it in a different direction all together. But now that the issues are over and done with, I'm finding myself skepticle on the whole monthly title if they do indeed decide to take that route with this franchise. But after what Keith Champagne released upon the comic book media I find it doubtful that another after series is soon to follow, anyone else feel this way or am I the only one?

Ghostbuster-Adem;134653
I re-read this damn thing from start to finish! Thinking maybe if I read one issue right after the other something new might click for me and i'd like it just that little bit more…saddly it did not! Infact as I read all four comics back to back I found the story to drag on even worse! Im not meaning to come off as I hate this comic series but dammit man, come on! They could have done alittle more with it and personally I felt could have taken it in a different direction all together. But now that the issues are over and done with, I'm finding myself skepticle on the whole monthly title if they do indeed decide to take that route with this franchise. But after what Keith Champagne released upon the comic book media I find it doubtful that another after series is soon to follow, anyone else feel this way or am I the only one?

Another one is coming. IDW wants it out by the summer. No word on the creative team though, except I'm pretty sure Champagne won't be back.

Sweeet! Thanks Trist, I just learned something new today haha. That's awsome that they have another story to tell! Hopefully Mr. Champagne (No offence to the guy) wont be apart of it, due to his lower experience and little Knowledge of the franchise as a whole. But yeah totally intrested and looking forwards as to when this new comic book will be released to the public